Fast food outlet raids result in 11 arrests

A series of raids across the south east has seen a number of burger bar workers arrested by immigration officials from the UK Border Agency.

The crackdown on fast food outlets began as officers first swooped on a Portway outlet, the lunchtime favourite Burger King bar, on Saturday the 5th of December. The raid resulted in the arrests of eight people who were found to be working illegally in the UK. Those arrested comprised of Pakistani and Indian nationals including one woman – all of whom were in their twenties, and all of whom are under suspicion of breaching visa regulations. A further search of a house in nearby Springfield uncovered an additional Indian woman, also in her twenties who had violated the terms of her visa.

Following investigation by the UKBA immigration team four of the nationals of Indian origin were removed from Britain. Of the remaining four people, three have been placed into custody ahead of their scheduled removal while one has been released on immigration bail.

The business owners were issued with penalty notices and advised that in accordance with law that they will be fined if they cannot prove that the mandatory pre-employment right-to-work checks were not carried out on the employees. Penalties for employing illegal workers can be up to £10,000 per person hired.

The latest raid came in the same month as an additional raid on a Burger King outlet at the Central Milton Keynes Midsummer Place branch. There, two Pakistani men and a Nigerian woman were arrested for visa breaches. Two are currently on immigration bail while one has been deported.